Dead Rising Review () by The Game Reviews

Dead Rising is a 3rd person action game that puts players in the shoes of Frank, the game’s photo-journalist protagonist. Frank has 72 game-hours to uncover the mysteries of the recent zombie epidemic in a small town in Colorado called Willamete. Frank spends the game in a mall taking photos of various encounters with zombies and survivors alike, and depending on the quality of the photographs, he is awarded points which can be used to unlock different fighting moves which help him cut through the unending flood of the undead.

Although Dead Rising is unquestionably a homage to the classic Romero flick Dawn of the Dead, a screen at the beginning of the game assures us that any similarities are ‘purely coincidental.’

While Dead Rising may initially appear to be an open ended sandbox game in the spirit of Grand Theft Auto, it’s not. In fact, it’s a rigidly timed affair that is both linear and demanding of players that requires several play-throughs to experience all the game has to offer. And boy oh boy, does Dead Rising sure have a lot to offer in the way of unlockables. However, the game requires a level of dedication, patience, and focus that may turn off more casual gamers lulled into believing (largely based on the do-what-you-want nature of the playable demo) that the game is a playful outing in a zombie infested shopping center. Dead Rising is a lopsided affair… it puts the player in a fun world with plenty of cool things to do, but then burdens them with one of the worst save game systems in recent memory, stifling an otherwise amazing experience.

Dead Rising only allows the player only one saved game at a time. This means that players who find themselves making poor time management decisions will be forced to reload and play the 72 hour campaign from the beginning, (although all unlocked combat moves and stat increases earned during initial attempts will carry over , providing some consolation.) Although the save system instills Dead Rising with a level of urgency and tension which would otherwise be absent, the resulting frustration is at times infuriating and not worth the marginal level of manufactured suspense that it brings to the table.

Despite the terrible saved game system, Dead Rising does manage to offer a delightfully appealing experience from a strict game play perspective. The hundreds of items scattered around the mall and its many stores, ranging from benches and plants, to shotguns and katanas, are all completely interactive. Frank can pick up most anything he comes across, and part of the pure fun of Dead Rising is coming up with new and often humorous ways to dispatch the shambling hordes. Gunplay is by far the weakest element of the controls, as it requires Frank to be stationary as he aims, but melee combat is satisfying overall due to the fact the number of potential weapons is so huge that players can get a bit creative. Adding to the humor, Frank can walk into the malls various clothing stores and change outfits, often with hilarious results.